North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

NATO’s most recent National Action Plan covers the period from 2021 to 2025. However, they also regularly update their Women, Peace and Security Policy which shapes the content of their NAPS. This policy was most recently updated in 2024 ahead of the new National Action Plan expected within the next year.

Objectives of NATO’s 2024 Women, Peace and Security Policy:

1.    Gender-responsive leadership and accountability: To ensure NATO leaders strengthen their gender expertise, work towards gender equality and are accountable for the implementation of the WPS Agenda.

2.    Participation: To strive for a gender-balanced workforce at all levels, including in decision-making and leadership roles, benefitting from a broader skillset and new perspectives across the NATO Enterprise. To promote the full, equal, safe and meaningful participation of women in peace and security at local, national, regional, and global levels, recognising the mutually reinforcing relationship between Participation, Prevention and Protection.

3.    Prevention: To advance NATO’s role in preventing and countering threats that disproportionately impact women and girls, and promoting the active role of women in crisis prevention and management at all levels, as well as in relief and recovery.

4.    Protection: To actively promote the protection and safeguarding of women and girls from all forms of gender-based violence.

Commentary

NATO’s 2024 WPS policy reaffirms its commitment to gender equality, aligning national efforts with global security strategies. In this Policy NATO builds on the successes of previous WPS efforts while addressing the evolving security landscape. The integration of lessons learned, including from civil society, ensures NATO continues to innovate and lead in the implementation of the WPS agenda.

The appointment of a Special Representative for WPS, Irene Fellin, indicates NATO’s commitment to integrate the Women, Peace and Security agenda across all aspects of their work. This integration is central to the policy, as it aims to provide a political framework for NATO’s contribution to international peace and security through the integration of WPS across the three core tasks of deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security.

Civil society involvement in development of the NAP

While NATO’s NAP (2021-2025) does not heavily emphasise the role of external civil society in its development, the Alliance consistently engages with civil society through its Civil Society Advisory Panel (CSAP) and stresses that this will continue in the 2024 Policy. This platform allows women’s organisations and other civil society actors to inform NATO’s policies and strategies. Through regular consultations, NATO leverages the expertise of civil society to enhance the relevance and impact of its work on gender equality, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.

Women’s Participation

NATO has taken steps to improve women’s participation by embedding Gender Advisors in its military structures and missions. These advisors provide essential guidance on integrating gender perspectives into military planning and execution.

Furthermore, NATO encourages member states to increase women’s representation in NATO-led forces through gender-responsive recruitment, retention, and leadership development.

In NATO’s 2020 Summary of National Reports, women made up 13% of NATO Armed Forces and 23.1% of applications. 29.7% of women applicants were recruited, and 67.8% completed basic training. NATO and member states must address barriers that prevent women applying, but also that prevent women from succeeding with their applications, and from completing basic training.

References

2024 Women, Peace and Security Policy: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_227578.htm

2021-2025 Action Plan: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_187485.htm

NATO Women, Peace and Security: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_187485.htm

NATO 2020 Summary of National Reports: NATO’s 2020 Summary of National Reports,

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